The Flames of Destiny
by Red5T65
Summary: Roy had always been haunted by his mother's last words. What did they mean? And why had she said them? When he is forced on a journey to save Elibe from the wrath of King Zephiel, he finds his answer, and his true destiny… Disclaimer: I do not own Fire Emblem in any way, shape or form. This story is mine, however.
1. Prologue: Inevitability

**A/N: Alright, prepare yourself for **_**all**_ **the angst today. Seriously, if you're not at least sniffling excessively for a nonmedical reason by the end of this chapter, there's something wrong with you. With that out of the way, let's go!**

* * *

Ninian had always known this day would come. In fact, she had known exactly what day it would be since she had first stepped through the Dragon's Gate. She had accepted the inevitability of it 10 years ago, but _could I do it now_, she asked herself as a wad of bile began rising in her throat. Eliwood had already called off all the healers, knowing that her passing was too close to stop by now. She could hear him sobbing, quietly, begging for answers, for forgiveness, all while his closest knights were at his side. _If only I could stay a little longer…_ she thought, _if only our son could know his mother more…_ But it was too late for that.

All of a sudden, Eliwood burst into her room, and he screamed, frantic, "Roy! W-where is he now?" Ninian was now very confused, because _Wasn't he outside having lunch-oh no._ Her train of thought stopped, dead in its tracks, as she said to her husband, her voice barely a whisper, "H-he j-just turned 5 today, didn't he?" Her volume rose as she spat out the sentence like it was a chunk of rotten meat, "AND MY DEATH IS HIS BIRTHDAY 'GIFT'!" Eliwood stood, his feet unable to move after his wife had raised her voice so loud it had become a roar, like that of her dragon form. He was still reeling from the noise when her words registered, and he broke. He slumped forward into Ninian's cold arms, _too cold_ for any normal person, ice dragon or otherwise, and began bawling, while clasping her hand as tight as he could, as though him holding on would be enough to keep her spirit from passing on. Lowen and Marcus, his faithful knights, Rebecca, the wildflower who had gone on Eliwood's journey and seen it through till the end, Merlinus, the merchant, and even Mark, the great tactician, all stood outside, making sure none could enter their lord's chambers.

* * *

But then disaster struck, in the form of a small, red-haired boy. "Where's papa?" he asked, and Rebecca found she couldn't resist her godson. "Your father's very sad right now."

"Huh? Why? He was happy when I got my birthday present! Is it because mama's sick?"

Rebecca nodded.

"Can I go in and help?"

She shook her head. "I'm sorry, Roy. Leave them for now. It'll be all over soon."

"B-but… papa's sad! Whenever I'm around, he gets happy again!"

Suddenly, Roy began pushing his way through to the door, and not wanting to hurt him, the knights stood aside. He reached up to the handle he could just barely grab, and _pushed._ With a *BANG!* the door blew wide open, and Roy rushed towards his parents.

* * *

Ninian knew she only had a few minutes left in this world. She had just told Eliwood that, and now she turned to her son. Her son, who had just barged in. _If I were more well,_ she pondered, _I would've reprimanded him._ But in her current state, all she did was say, "Roy, mama won't be here for much longer."

"W-why? Where are you going?"

"Up into the sky, Roy. Where all the spirits go."

"B-but you can't!"

"I'm sorry, Roy. I don't have a choice anymore."

"N-no! You can't go! I won't let you!" With that, he grabbed onto his mother's other arm, while Eliwood turned to face him.

"My son, sometimes, the world is cruel. This is one of those times."

"I don't want it to be that! Mama, tell papa he's wrong!"

Ninian shook her head the tiniest bit. "I can't. He's right. But do you want to know something?"

Roy nodded, struggling to look at her with tears in his eyes.

"You have a spark inside you. It's cold now, frozen, trapped. But some day, it will ignite, and you will learn the true extent of your power."

"Really, mama?"

"Yes, son. Now go, and let your father have some peace." With that, Roy ran out of the room, and started crying in the corner, and none of Eliwood's trusted knights could do anything about it, no matter how hard they tried. At the same time, the door was shut, leaving Eliwood to come to his own terms on the matter, before suddenly, Ninian's calming presence, the cool air that seemed to emanate from her at all times, disappeared.

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**A/N: Told you it'd be sad. But what does Ninian mean with those words? Only time (and this story) will tell…**


	2. Chapter 1: Hector, Fallen

**A/N: Alright, from here on out, spoilers for Binding Blade. In this case, spoilers for chapter 3 (if you haven't guessed from the title) Anyway, Roy has already dealt with loss at too young of an age. But now that he's older, how will he react to it now?**

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Roy had just received word that Araphen was under attack, and he rushed to the city where the Lycian league was _supposed_ to have convened for discussion. His father's friend, the mighty Lord Hector, Marquess of Ostia, was already there, or so a panicked messenger they'd met on the way had said. With this information, they pressed on further still, until they could see the walls of Araphen rising on the horizon. Worse, the sky itself was being crowded, and Roy cursed quietly. Bern's wyvern riders had arrived. It wouldn't be long before the Dragon Generals showed up too, if they hadn't already.

* * *

As they drew closer still, Roy could hear blades clashing, as the forces of the mad king Zephiel fell upon the group of lords and their retainers. Hector himself was in the middle, his family's personal regalia, the axe known as the Wolf Beil, swinging. But then a bolt of lightning rained down on the encircled Lycians. _Brunnya,_ Roy thought, remembering the Valkyrie's name. With new resolve, Roy's small force charged, hoping to draw away some of the wyvern riders before it was too late, and the great Lord Hector was no more.

* * *

Soon enough, Castle Araphen was theirs, but Hector was looking worse for wear. He couldn't even stand, and Elen, the lone healer of the group, found she was too weak to heal him. After fainting from overexertion, Hector turned to Roy. "Roy, there's something I need to tell you."

"What is it, Lord Hector?"

"First off, none of that. You know that. Second, I… am cursed."

"Cursed? By what? And when?"

"By… Armads."

"By… Armads? How?"

"You see, Armads… has a curse. Durban's spirit told me of it when I drew it 20 years ago. He said, 'Once you have gained such power… Your life will not end in a comfortable bed. You will die on the battlefield. In the savage garden of war's bloody delights.' I believe this…" he waved a hand at his grievous wounds, "...is what he meant." Roy said nothing. He just stared, not truly believing what he was hearing. _A curse? On Lord Hector? It couldn't be true. Could it?_ But then Hector began speaking again.

"Bern… has done… the… unthinkable. Th-they… resurrected… the dragons."

Roy froze. "Does King Zephiel intend to have a _second_ Scouring!?"

Hector nodded, straining as he did so. "Roy, I… don't have… much more time. Go to Ostia… find Lilina… keep her safe! She knows of… Durandal's… resting place. Get out of here, and… reach it before… the dragons… they… come!"

Roy nodded slowly, taking it all in. Presently, he noticed tears welling up in Hector's eyes. "Lord Hector? What is it? Why are you crying?"

"Oh, Lilina… let me see you… one… last… time!" Suddenly, he looked toward the sky, and stood, to the shock of everyone present. "Lyn! I-I'm coming! I'm… joining… you…" With that, he took one final step forward, before finally collapsing on the floor.

Roy stood in disbelief, too shocked to do anything else. When he finally regained composure, he had Hector's body burned, as was Ostian tradition for their lords. And properly burned, on a real pyre. Anything less would be unworthy of the man who had aided Eliwood on his quest to stop a Scouring some 20 years ago. All those who knew he grieved, but only for a short time, but this was not just for tradition: They were running out of time. According to Chad, a thief they'd recruited while storming the castle, Narcian was to lead the invasion of the rest of Lycia. And so they left, Hector's death still on their minds.

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**A/N: I won't go through every chapter in Binding Blade, just a few important ones. This is one of them, the next chapter will be the ending of chapter 8, so stay tuned for that!**


	3. Chapter 2: Grim Reunion

**A/N: Alright, spoilers for everything up to (and including) chapter 8 of Binding Blade! After the death of Hector, what will happen when Lilina finds out?**

* * *

After reuniting with Lilina, she brought Roy over to a meeting room so they could discuss various things, like the war and whatnot. Roy was admittedly a little confused, but before he could voice his confusion, Lilina said to him, "Before you say anything, thank you for reclaiming Ostia for me. My father would be proud." Roy froze. But before he could say anything, she asked him, "Is he still in Araphen? I'd heard it was a tough battle, but it should've been won by now, thanks to him!"

Roy turned to Lilina, and looked her right in the eyes. "Lilina… haven't you heard?"

She tilted her head, confused. "What?" Roy thought about how to put it, but then decided, Ostians would've preferred bluntness, so he said, "Lord Hector… passed away."

"What!?" Lilina shouted, stepping back.

"I-I'm sorry, Lilina! When we got to Araphen… Bern had already taken it over. Lord Hector was in the dungeon, and try as we might… we couldn't save him."

Lilina slumped down into a chair. "How did they defeat him? He had a sizable entourage, I'm sure of it! I saw them leave!"

Roy sighed, sitting down next to her. "Lilina, did your father ever tell you about his… curse?"

Lilina stared at him. "A… curse? By who? What was the curse, anyway?"

Roy thought back to when Hector told him the details. "It was… the curse of Armads. Something along the lines of the wielder having to die violently, from wounds sustained in battle. I think that's why our staves didn't work."

Lilina was speechless. _I have to be strong. I'm Ostia's marchioness, and the daughter of Hector, dammit! Why did no one tell me? I-I…_ she suddenly lost her train of thought, before collapsing into Roy's chest, sobbing all the while. Roy reached around her to pull her in a little tighter, and when Lilina did nothing, he stayed like that, until finally, Marcus and Merlinus came in to see exactly what was going on. When they saw the two nobles sitting there, they said nothing, and quietly left the room to leave Lilina to grieve with Roy.

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**A/N: I'll probably go through some more chapters, namely the divine weapon chapters, for presumably obvious reasons. After that, it's time for destiny to arrive!**


	4. Chapter 3: The Blazing Blade

**A/N: Alright, time for them to claim Durandal, the Blazing Blade. Also, for the route split, review with which weapon you want Roy to obtain first: Maltet, the Blizzard Lance, obtained after trekking through the frozen wastes of Ilia, or Mulagir, the Tempest Bow, obtained on the wide open plains of Sacae. Anyway, let's get into it!**

After coming to terms with her father's death, Lilina stepped out with Roy, and he told the rest of his small force what was going on. "We're going to retrieve Durandal now, so anyone who wishes to stay behind for the time being, you may do so! Otherwise, come on! We don't have much time, and as we saw earlier, those dragons need to be stopped. If you wish to come, raise your hand!" All of the mercenaries did so, as did the Pheraens in the group, aside from Merlinus. "Alright, everyone follow Lilina! Whatever you do, keep close!" With that, the group set out from Castle Ostia, towards a small cave just north of the city…

As they made their way to the cave, Dieck spoke up. "Lord Roy?"

Roy turned to the hardened mercenary. "Yes? What's going on?"

"You don't plan to just send us in and do your work for you, right?" Dieck said, a little tense.

Roy stared at Dieck. "What gave you that impression? My father wielded Durandal when he was barely older than I am! I want to see if I can too, at least eventually. And that means going in!"

The mercenary nodded. "Alright. Just checking."

Eventually, Roy and his small squad arrived at the cave, only to find out that a group of bandits had holed up in it, for some reason, even with the magma bubbling around them. As he peered in, he saw two potential ways of reaching the altar where Durandal was sheathed: a winding path, which seemed to have the remains of a bridge in it, and another path, this one a dead end. However, this second path ended in a large gap that could be flown over. With that, he had his plan to reach the sword. Turning to his forces, he said, "Alright, everyone, here's the plan: Shanna, you head left along that dead end. Lilina and I will go with you, with Marcus as backup. You'll ferry us over that big gap at the end. The rest of you, take the main path. Alen and Lance, you're in front. Wolt, lay down some cover fire. Dieck, Wade, and Lot, you three will be in the middle. Feel free to shit your positions as necessary. Is everyone clear?" Everyone nodded. "Alright, let's go get that sword!" With that, he raised his own sword in the air, and signalled everyone to fan out as directed.

The bandits, of course, reacted, but most steered clear of the areas where lava plumes would occasionally appear. Unfortunately, that led to a clear divide on the main path: a large crack that had lava flowing through it was clearly visible, and neither side wanted to cross it in case they got consumed by the lava. That is, until Wolt, who had been hiding behind Wade for a little bit, suddenly stepped out from behind the fighter and loosed an arrow, right at the lead bandit. This got them moving, but at that moment, the ground shook slightly, and then a jet of lava burst out of the crack, incinerating one bandit immediately, before proceeding to start falling down. With this distraction, Alen and Lance grabbed Dieck and Wolt respectively, with Wade and Lot rushing behind them, before the lava bubbled up again. Meanwhile, the bandits gave chase, but they were very much slowed by the lava that was still there, as it hadn't cooled yet.

On the other path, Lilina was flinging fireballs left and right, while Roy kept one of the bandits on this side in place. This let Shanna rush in and dive bomb said bandit from behind, before picking up Roy and ferrying him to the other side of the chasm. Marcus, meanwhile, took on the last one, before Shanna came back and let Lilina climb on her pegasus. The two then rode over the chasm once again, and Lilina hopped off on the other side.

At that moment, they heard what was presumably the leader of the group of bandits shout, "Come on, boys! We've got ourselves some offerings? Who wants a treat?" Out of nowhere, five more bandits popped out from their hiding places, weapons drawn. Shanna darted back, her pegasus having been startled by the sudden appearance of the bandits, but by that point, the rest of the small group had arrived, and they were quickly routed, leaving only the boss, whose name was revealed to be Henning. Unfortunately for him, Lilina had readied a fireball with his name on it. As it hit him, he felt himself burning, and with his right arm failing him, he was easy pickings for the red and green cavaliers, Alen and Lance. With him out of the way, the way was clear to the altar that served as Durandal's sheath.

When they saw it, Roy couldn't believe his eyes. "That's… a big sword." The rest of them looked at it, unsure of how they were supposed to wield such a thing. Alen broke the silence with what they were all thinking: "How are you supposed to even hold that?" Roy shrugged. "My father did, and he's definitely not the strongest person in the world. Maybe it's because it's magic?" Marcus, who was standing behind them, nodded. "I remember when he finally claimed this sword, Athos mentioned only those who Roland deemed worthy were allowed to wield it. Anyway, on to how we break the seal…" Roy looked around, then realized something: "Where's Lilina?" The rest of them glanced around the small room as well, unsure of where the Ostian heiress had gone. Suddenly, there was a flash, and then Durandal suddenly began lifting out of the altar. They raced to catch it, but that only resulted in Roy getting lifted a few inches in the air, before suddenly dropping back down in a heap. "Ow… does anyone have a vulnerary?" Wade handed Roy his own, and he drank it down. At that point, he tried lifting it. It didn't move. Then Alen tried, and again, nothing. Lance tried it, but he found he couldn't lift it either. Then it went to Dieck, who also got no results. And so it fell to Marcus, but even he couldn't lift it. At that moment, Lilina came back, and when she saw the rest of them struggling to lift the massive sword, which appeared to be as tall as herself, she laughed, and proceeded to lift it without any trouble. Everyone else's jaws dropped, before she said, simply, "Roland's my ancestor, so I think family get privileges?" However, she couldn't really swing it. Out of nowhere, a voice boomed: "Who dares disturb Durandal?" Roy spoke first, "I am Roy, of the House Pherae, son of Eliwood. I wish to claim Durandal to use against the dragons once more." The voice responded, "Very well, son of Eliwood. Go forth, and make sure the dragons do not burn this world to cinders again." It echoed a bit more in the tiny room, before finally dissipating. With that, all of Roy's group who had tried to lift it and failed found they could with ease. Of course, lifting it and wielding it were two completely separate things, and when Roy tried, he found himself tipping over again, no matter how hard he tried to balance. "How did my father even swing it?" No one had the answer, but they didn't need it yet: They all knew they didn't quite have the skill to wield such a hefty blade as Durandal.

**A/N: And there's the quest for Durandal completed! Up next, Armads, the Thunder Axe! But what about its curse? Stay tuned for that!**


	5. Chapter 4: The Thunder Axe

**A/N: Alright, time for Roy and co. to obtain the almighty Armads, great Axe of Thunder! But what of its curse? Who would dare to wield such a weapon if it had such great consequences for doing so? It's time to find out!**

With their business on the Western Isles concluded, Elphin, the bard shrouded in secrets, led the way to a small cave near the Jutes. Here laid Armads, the Thunder Axe, an axe imbued with the power to cast lightning. While on the way there, Roy relayed the great axe's curse to those who had thought of wielding it, those being Wade, Lot, Gonzales, Geese, and Bartre. Lilina had come as well, as had Chad, who had jumped at the opportunity once it was revealed that the cave had many chests within. Elphin himself was only there to guide them, as he was not willing to enter the cave, for a multitude of reasons.

Once inside, the group spread out, with Wade and Lot (along with Chad) heading down the left path, Bartre and Geese down the rightmost path, and the rest down the center. However, as they ran down the pathways, a few thieves showed themselves, and began opening up the chests and raiding their contents. Chad was, of course, miffed, and decided to take his attention off the chests and turn it to the other thieves. However, that seemed to be all the resistance they could see. That was, until…

VWORP VWORP VWORP* "DRUID!" Roy shouted when he heard the telltale sounds of the powerful Eclipse tome being cast. Lilina cursed to herself. She couldn't deal with that! She was an anima mage, for Elimine's sake! Luckily for her, she didn't have to. The druid was still gathering magical power to cast Eclipse again, when Gonzales ran up to them and sliced off their arm. And then their other arm. The druid dropped their tome on the ground, writhing in agony, before Roy finally came in and slit their throat. By then, Wade and Lot had returned from the other side, and Geese had finished up the middle, dragging Chad (and the loot) with him. That only left the bandits guarding the altar: a brigand with a Devil Axe, who Roy knew would most likely kill themselves before they did anything, and a myrmidon, who had a Killing Edge. That's going to be a problem… he thought to himself. But it turned out not to be as bad as he had thought, because Lilina had casually vaporized him with an extra powerful bolt of lightning. The brigand then charged forward, but of course, the Devil Axe's signature effect kicked in, and he proceeded to get a massive gash on his leg. He dropped to the ground, and, seeing the rest of the group making their way towards him, he bolted as fast as he could go. All that was left now was the leader of the group: a berserker. "Anyone have any ideas?" Roy asked. Wade nodded, and proceeded to lob a hand axe at the berserker. It connected, but all it seemed to do was piss them off. "COME AT ME, COWARDS! FACE THE WRATH OF ME, GELERO! RAGH!" With that, Gelero jumped at them, silver axe in hand. Geese blocked it with his two small axes, while Gonzales swiped at his legs, and Wade and Lot each went for an arm. This assault caused Gelero to back off, but not before lobbing a hand axe of his own at them. At first, it appeared to have been going clear of everyone, but then it dawned on Roy: He's aiming for Lilina! Out of nowhere, he leaped into the axe's path, his sword in front of him, attempting to block, while Lilina finished preparing a spell. It was a simple spell, a basic fireball, but she had been pouring massive amounts of energy into it. When she finished, she placed the runes in a triangular pattern, and Gelero froze. Instinctually, he brought up his axe to block, but the fireball didn't come from above. Instead, it went down low. Very low. When it connected, there was an ear-piercing shriek as Gelero had his groin cooked like a slice of meat on a fire. Everyone covered their ears, and when the shrieking finally stopped, he slumped back, revealing his manhood to be a blackened mess. Gelero himself had died, presumably from a shock-related injury. Everyone threw up at the sight, but this turned out to be very bad: Chad happened to have thrown up into an acid geyser, which then erupted. Everyone dove out of the way, not wanting to have their skin melted off by the toxic liquids.

At that moment, a bolt of lightning struck the altar, and the golden axe began to rise out of its resting place. "Nobody touch it yet!" Roy called out. "Trust me, if you do, you're just going to end up on the ground, and everything is going to feel sore." He rubbed his left arm instinctually, shuddering slightly. Out of nowhere, a voice boomed: "Who dares remove Armads from its holy resting place?" Lilina stepped forward. "I am Lilina, daughter of Hector, Armads' previous wielder. While I myself do not plan on using it, I was planning on giving it to one of my companions." A few seconds later, the voice responded, this time directed at the axemen: "Do all of you understand this axe's curse?" All of them replied, "Yes." "Very well. Take the axe, but remember: should you choose to wield it, you will not die in a comfortable bed. You will die on the battlefield, in the savage garden of war's bloody delights." With that, the voice faded, and Armads fell to the ground. Everyone attempted to grab it, only for them to realize that the mighty Thunder Axe was heavy. And so they all toppled over. Roy sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. "This literally happened to me when I tried wielding Durandal. Don't bother. You're not going to be able to swing it."

**A/N: Alright, now they have Armads! Next up, Forblaze, the Infernal Truth, hidden in an ancient temple shrouded in the sands of the wasteland that is Nabata...**


	6. Chapter 5: The Infernal Truth

**A/N: Time for the squad to wade through a waterlogged temple for Forblaze, a fire tome! Bit ironic, isn't it? Also, expect Athos to be mentioned.**

Following the lead of the half-dragon Sophia, Roy's strike group made its way into an ancient temple, hidden in the dunes. But when they stepped inside, Roy immediately recoiled at a sudden chill in his foot, as well as a bit of sogginess in his boot. Looking down, he saw the source: a small puddle had formed on the stairs.

"It's… wet?"

Sophia nodded. "The water is pure enough it counteracts most magical effects rather well, such as the tome hidden within."

He nodded. "I see. This would be Forblaze then, no?"

Another nod.

"I remember my father having to seal it back in this desert once Athos passed on. I wonder if his spirit resides here…?" He trailed off, and was about to say something else when Chad saw some movement in the distance.

"Soldiers!"

Roy cursed. "Dammit! They're already here!" He ordered his pegasus knights to scout a little bit. "Can you see the commander?"

"I think it's the sage on the stairs!"

"Got it! Everyone, stay vigilant. The enemy probably already knows we're coming, but we can't really tell from where."

Suddenly, Igrene spoke up: "Actually, I remember my father taking me into this place once. If I recall correctly, most of this place is waterlogged, and there's only a thin path leading to the altar. It also floods periodically."

Roy nodded. "Thanks for the heads up." Turning back to the rest of the force, he said, "Alright, everyone watch your steps. We don't want to fall in the water, and try your best not to get swept away by it. Is everyone ready?"

A resounding "Yes!" echoed slightly through the entrance.

"Alright, let's go!"

With that, they made their way in.

Very quickly, they realized the enemy was coming from all sides, even through the water. This proved rather troublesome, especially since the narrow paths meant there wasn't much room to maneuver. However, they had gotten a basic strategy going: Perceval, flanked by Alan and Lance, took point, with Cecilia behind him. The fliers were off on the other side, harassing some of the enemies there. Dieck and Rutger were in the middle, with Roy a little behind them, and Lilina, Lugh, and Igrene brought up the rear. Sophia had opted to not fight, given how weak she was.

The strategy was working well, but then the whole temple shook. Everyone froze, even the enemy, and Alan took the opportunity to take down an incoming berserker. Then it began. A slow, incessant *Drip… drip…* echoed through the temple, before suddenly, the water began to rise.

"Everyone get to high ground!" Roy shouted, racing for one of the taller platforms. Shanna, Thea, and Melady kept to the ceiling, while Lilina tried boiling away some of the water. It did little to stop the oncoming torrent.

Speaking of which, the water had begun rapidly pouring in from various holes in the temple's walls, and this rapidly cleared out some of the enemies standing too close to the water's edge, although a few managed to scramble back on. Those who did decided that defending Forblaze was not worth drowning, and promptly bolted out of the temple. Only those still on the high ground remained: the commander, two more sages, and a squadron of wyvern riders that hadn't been dealt with, along with a few stray pirates and mercenaries.

As it turned out, the water had ended up ruining one of the sage's tomes, rendering it unusable. Cecilia identified the tome as a Bolting tome, meaning that mage could no longer rain down lightning from afar. The other two still could, though. The wyvern riders decided now was the time to switch targets, and they descended on the Lilina and Lugh. A deadon shot took one of them down, however, and the other had a wing burned off. It plummeted into the water below with a loud splash. But the last one, this one wielding an axereaver, managed to get a solid hit in Lilina's casting arm. When Roy noticed, something awoke within him. He charged in, despite attempts to stop him, and proceeded to leap at the wyvern rider, sword drawn, and slash them across the face, before kicking the wyvern in order to land back on solid ground, where Cecilia was tending to Lilina. The wyvern rider screamed in agony as he lost control of his mount, and proceeded to spiral out of control, landing directly at Roy's feet, his wyvern a crumpled mess of charred flesh, spilled blood, and many, many broken bones.

Roy looked him in the eyes, and shouted, "NEVER HURT ONE OF MY FRIENDS AGAIN! YOU'LL NEED TO GET THROUGH ME FIRST!" The wyvern rider had already bled out by then, and Roy shook himself to regain some composure.

The sages, upon seeing Roy's savage display, decided enough was enough, and surrendered, leaving the commander, a sage named Oates. He proved rather weak against General Perceval's lance, and with him gone, all the threats to the temple had been vanquished. With that, Roy stepped toward the altar, and made his request.

"Archsage Athos! A generation ago, you aided my father and his allies in a quest to stop the mad druid Nergal, and you used your own divine weapon to do so! Now I ask that you lend its great power to us, so that we may stop the mad King Zephiel!"

There was silence for a full minute, but then a voice began to fill the room:

"Roy, son of Eliwood. This situation you are in seems as dire as the one that lead to my passing. This Zephiel must be stopped, and I foresee Forblaze being necessary for that task. So take it, and meet Zephiel on the battlefield, and show him the power of the Infernal Truth!"

Suddenly, a great pillar of fire shot forth from the altar, and all of the water evaporated. When its light and heat became tolerable, a fire-red tome began descending from the ceiling. Nobody dared touch it. It eventually touched the floor, sizzling as it did so, and any attempts to grab it were met with little success. That is, until Lilina tried.

The young marchioness lifted the mighty tome with ease, and with no signs of burns anywhere. Everyone was utterly baffled. How was such a feat possible? But then everything clicked: Lilina had been honing her magical prowess the entire way, and not only that, but her bond with Roy seemed to boost her already powerful fire spells to the point of widespread incineration, in some cases. Not only that, but she was the daughter of the late Lord Hector, who had met Athos, and fought with him. Really, was there any other choice?

With that business concluded, the strike group exited the ancient temple, and watched as it seemingly began to sink into the dunes, all the while an oasis seemed to be forming around it. Upon seeing this, the non-natives were baffled, but Igrene, who had lived in the region her whole life, knew what was happening. "Didn't Sophia mention that the water in the temple is pure enough to absorb magical energy? Well, that energy doesn't just dissipate. Now that it's got some place to go that isn't stone, it can bleed back into the earth, which essentially means it acts like fertilizer. My father told me that sometimes, while roaming the desert, he would happen upon oases just like this one, and they always felt… different. I can see why." That explanation seemed to satisfy the others, and with that, they made their way onwards to Aquileia.

**A/N: Route split's coming up, so be ready for it. It'll be after the next chapter.**


	7. Chapter 6: The Glorious Ascension

**A/N: Aureola: The personal tome of Saint Elimine. Only those who fully devote themselves to her teachings are considered pure enough to wield it. But who out of Roy's army could?**

Upon taking Aquilea, any and all Erturian resistance crumbled, as the traitorous lords Roartz and Arcardo fled east, and with Narcian gone, any threat to the Lycian League disappeared. With that, and the rescue of King Mordred (and a reunion with his son) Erturia's full might was being brought to bear against Bern. This meant the Great General Douglas would be with them, and with some newly earned promotions, Roy's personal strike group made its way to the Saint's Tower, the most holy place in all Elibe.

The group's aim was to claim Aureola, the sacred tome of St. Elimine, and also retake the tower from Bern (which was fully sanctioned by the church, as attempting to seize church property without a warrant was not only illegal, but also sacrilegious) As they approached the massive golden tower, everyone could feel the holy aura emanating from it, and it turned out said aura was literal: Every now and then, bright beams of light seemed to shoot past the tower, burning anything in their path. At first, they were dismayed at having to climb the whole way, but with the power of liberal uses of Warp, they made it nearly to the top in moments.

Unfortunately, the group was stopped a few floors down from the very top, and any attempts to warp further were stymied. As well, the bright flash that always accompanied warping had alerted the Bern soldiers to their presence, and they began to move in. Roy cursed to himself. "Dammit! Why couldn't we have gone all the way up?" There was no time to dwell on this issue, however, as Bern's forces would soon be upon them.

Something everyone found themselves very annoyed by was the constant use of siege times by unreachable sages, which was universally seen as a cowardly, if tactically sound move. Sue and Shin had been tasked to deal with them, each one on one side of the tower. Douglass served as the rear guard, while Alan and Lance took point up the left. Perceval was helping ferry the orphan twins, while Roy and Lilina stayed side by side (Roy typically in front) As well, Dieck and Rutger were moving with Clarine and the pegasus sisters, who acted as magical shields for the mercenary captain and the lone wolf myrmidon. In turn, the two took fire from archers and any cavaliers who got too close.

About halfway up, a group of rogue church officials began making their way down, determined to stall the advance of the Lycians. They met a swift end to Rutger's randomly appearing clones from moving ridiculously fast. Dieck's use of hand axes and heavy swords helped clear out some of the stragglers, and Clarine's newfound prowess with tomes dealt with the rest.

All of this eventually led to the leader of the rogue church members quickly being dispatched through a combination of Alan's and Lance's skill with their weapons, and now the group stood before the shrine that contained Elimine's Glorious Ascension, the holy light tome Aureola. Her calm voice echoed like the gentle breeze blowing around the great golden tower. "My children, no, those of… Roland, correct? Heed my words: The light of Aureola shall shine bright as a beacon on your path. But be sure to not let that light die out, lest harm befall you from the ever-growing darkness… Now go, sons and daughters of Roland, and use my glorious cleansing light to ascend beyond the heavens!" With that, the spears of light falling from the sky began to coalesce above the altar, and with a blinding flash, the light of which rivaled that of a midsummer's noontime sun, a tome descended, as an invisible choir began chanting the phrase, "Deo uerendi luminis, ascendamus" over and over, before the light finally dissipated and Aureola laid before the army. The choir had also faded out by now, and all that was left was the tome. Unfortunately, no one yet seemed capable of wielding it, and so when they made their way back down, they asked Merlinus to store it until someone could.

**A/N: Last chapter, Roy went a little berserk for unspecified reasons. Review with your guesses as to why! Also, should Roy go to Ilia or Sacae? Review with your pick as well!**


End file.
